1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a warning barricade for restricting pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and more particularly, to a warning barricade apparatus having an increased ability to minimize dislocation of and damage to an associated lighting unit upon vehicular impact, while facilitating removal of the lighting unit for relocation and battery replacement.
2. Background Art
Warning barricades for use in restricting access to pedestrian and vehicular traffic have been known in the art for many years. In particular, these warning barricades have taken many different forms, including "A" frame structures, barrels, and single vertical members attached to bottom supports. Inasmuch as visibility of these barricades is tantamount to their function as a traffic restriction and a warning indicator, the use of lighting units in association with these structures has also been preferred. Specifically, lighting units are typically placed on or near the top end of these barricades, where they are most visible to an oncoming pedestrian or vehicle.
Traditionally, large battery units, such as 6-V or 12-V car-type units, were used as a source of power for these lighting units. Such large battery units were required to obtain the type of energy needed to allow continuous operation of the lighting units, without constant changing of the batteries. Because of their size and bulkiness, these batteries were placed at or near the lowest base of the barricades, with wiring running from the batteries to the lighting units which were positioned on top of the barricades.
With the increased capacity and power of smaller alkaline batteries, these smaller batteries have often replaced the larger, bulkier 6-V and 12-V batteries. These smaller (such as D-cell) batteries could be placed in the lighting unit directly, thus avoiding the wiring that was previously necessary. Accordingly, the entire lighting units, batteries included, were placed at or near the top of the warning barricades.
As a result of this development, the lighting units themselves became slightly bulkier, to even contain more mass. Thus, while some barricade structures, such as the warning barricade shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,258 by Goff, are collapsible into a substantially flattened position to minimize structural damage of the barricades upon vehicular impact, these barricade designs do not necessarily accommodate the dislocation of these new, integrated, lighting units from the top of these structures. In particular, while the lighting units were improved, they also became heavier and more dangerous when forcibly displaced from, for example, the top of the barricade structures. Indeed, inasmuch as lighting units have not been adequately attached to the barricade structures, they have functioned as high speed projectiles dangerous to automobiles, automobile passengers, and any other objects in the barricade vicinity--besides subjecting the lighting units themselves to more occurrences of, and increased, damage.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has established certain crash worthiness criteria for barricades. Specifically, warning barricades are subjected to vehicular impact at 60 miles per hour. Amongst other criteria, the FHWA requires that the barricades maintain certain levels of structural integrity upon impact by a vehicle. Many states are considering legislation addressing such crash worthiness criteria, and the concern that many current barricades do not meet such requirements.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a warning barricade with a lighting unit sleeve that minimizes the dislocation of lighting units from the barricade upon vehicular impact, to, in turn, minimize the potential harm to nearby vehicles, passengers, and pedestrians.
Moreover, while improving the attachment of a lighting unit to warning barricade apparatus is certainly important, it also a goal in the art to minimize the hardware or materials required to securably attach the lighting unit to the warning barricade. Such a minimization of hardware reduces material costs and the time required to install lighting units on various barricades.
Furthermore, the use of alkaline batteries inside of the lighting units creates the need for quick and easy removal of the lighting unit from the barricade to facilitate battery replacement. Given the frequency with which the lighting units are damaged or stolen, and the interchangeable nature of the lighting units, the ability to quickly and easily install new units and remove damaged units is likewise desired. Accordingly, it is a further goal in the art to develop a lighting unit that is quickly and easily detached from and reattached to the warning barricade with a minimum amount of time required for the operation.